Shadow of the Past
by Mertiya
Summary: A short story set a year after the events of Sozin's Comet. Iroh wakens Zuko to tell him he has visitors-the Gaang is back, and they've brought someone Zuko is longing to see...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Avatar: The Last Airbender._ I just love it.

**A/N:** I'm sure it's too late to tell everyone this, but don't go see the movie. Just...don't. I did, and since I didn't have access to the internet afterward, I had to write fanfic to take the taste out of my mouth. This isn't very long-it's probably about three chapters' worth. This is mostly a Maiko story-I like Zutara as well, but I was trying to go for canon-ish with this story. There's a wee bit of Kataang in there as well. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

**Chapter One  
**

Zuko groaned and rolled over. There was sun in his eyes. "Ugh," he mumbled. "Mai, did you leave the curtains open again?"

There was no answer. He pulled the sheets up over his head, but somehow he managed to jerk them off his feet. He shivered and pulled his feet up to his chest.

"Zuko, time to get up! The sun is high in the sky!" His uncle's voice didn't give him warning enough to dodge as Iroh's hand grabbed his shoulder and tipped him out of bed. He tumbled to the ground and landed in a tangled heap, with his sheet wrapped around one leg. He was suddenly very cold, and he was suddenly very aware he wasn't wearing anything.

"Uncle!" he yelped, grabbing for the sheet and pulling it up around himself. "What are you _doing_?"

Iroh was standing at the window looking out. The iron-gray hair hanging about his head shifted slightly in the breeze. Zuko rolled his eyes. He was being overdramatic again.

"Zuko, my boy, isn't it a beautiful day?"

"Uncle…" groaned Zuko. "I was sleeping."

"Sleep is for the weak! Besides, you have guests, remember."

"What guests? What?" Zuko tried to get to his feet and found that in his haste to cover himself, he had inextricably entangled himself in his sheet. He hopped on one foot, trying to catch his balance, failed, and flopped backward onto the bed. Where was Mai? He supposed he should be grateful she hadn't still been here when Iroh appeared. Not that his uncle would have batted an eyelid, but…Zuko flushed to think about the previous night. Well, they were engaged, after all.

"Were you too busy last night to notice the arrival of our guests?"

"Busy? Me? Of course not!"

Iroh looked over at him with twinkling eyes. "Then I fail to see how you managed to miss the arrival of the Avatar and his friends."

"Aang's here?" Zuko hadn't seen Aang in a year. After his crowning, the Avatar had left to travel around the four nations, restoring balance. He had also promised the new Firelord that he would search for Zuko's mother. Ozai-

_"Where is my mother?" demanded Zuko, grasping the front of his father's shirt and dragging him upright. The fallen Phoenix King smirked at him. _

_ "I really think it will be more amusing if I don't tell you, _son_."_

_ "Tell me, or-"_

_ "Or what?"_

_ Anger and pain burst inside Zuko's chest, and flames sprang into being around his hand. "Tell me, or I swear-"_

_ Coughing, the former Firelord turned his face away from the heat. "You'll burn me, boy? Is that it? You want us to be a matched set?"_

_ Horrified, Zuko flung his father backward across the cell. "I'll never be you."_

_ "Won't you?"_

He hadn't been back since then, but the scene haunted his dreams. Several times, he'd woken in the night, bathed in sweat, and been unable to fall back asleep. Last night, the same thing had happened, but Mai had woken too and sleepily told him to 'get to sleep, you're keeping me awake.' It had helped. Where _was _Mai?

"Yes, Nephew, Aang is here. He's been waiting for you since breakfast-don't you think you had better wear something a little more formal?"

Zuko had started for the door, still wrapped in the bed-sheet. He turned red to his ears. "I was just-going to the wardrobe, Uncle."

Iroh fixed him with an amused look. "Of course. The avatar and I will wait for you downstairs."

It took a bewildered and frustrated Zuko at least twice as long as it should have to find his clothes, half of which were scattered on the floor of his chamber. He was belting his sword when someone knocked on the door. "Uh…come in." He ran hasty hands through his hair.

"Hey, Zuko, way to go, man." Sokka was leaning against the lintel.

Zuko stared at him. "…thank you?" he essayed uncertainly, then followed Sokka's gaze to the bed, where an embroidered stocking had somehow gotten itself flung over the backboard. "That-that's-" he snatched it up and looked for somewhere to put it.

Sokka grinned. "This place reeks of s-"

Zuko stiffened. "That'sverynicewhydon'tyouwaitformedownstairs?"

The water-tribe man tossed his boomerang casually into the air. "So where's the lucky lady?"

Zuko's face was so hot that it felt heavy. "Um, I don't know," he mumbled. "She was gone when I woke up."

His friend whistled. "Tough luck, man. And here I thought-"

Zuko kneaded his forehead. He was getting a headache. "Come on, Sokka, I want to see Aang. Also, for your information, Mai and I are getting married. I was going to wait for the formal announcement, but you seemed so _interested…_" He allowed himself a small smile as he walked past Sokka's gaping open mouth. He couldn't resist stopping to pat his friend on the arm and murmuring quietly, "So when are you popping the question to Suki?"

As Sokka spluttered, Zuko swept regally down the stairs, straightening his robes. Score one for the fire nation.

"Zuko!" He was almost knocked over by the pretty water-bender's embrace. He held her in his arms for a moment, then set her gently on her feet. Katara was a beautiful, wonderful girl whom he cared for deeply. If it hadn't been for Mai, then maybe-but thinking of Mai made him think of her hidden smile when he did something foolish, which led to her professed love of fruit tarts, which led to-

"Zuko, I'm glad to see you." Aang smiled. He was several inches taller than he had been when Zuko had last seen him, and he held himself a little more surely, but he was still the same gawky boy. Katara swept back over to Aang. She had clearly been indulging some of the free credit the shops reserved for friends of the Firelord and the Avatar; she was wearing an embroidered blue robe and a comb in her hair that looked as if it was made of sea-shell, which reflected the light in little iridescent sparkles.

"I'm glad to see you too."

"Hey, you know why Zuko wasn't here to greet us last night?" Sokka piped up from the stairs, and the smile froze on Zuko's face.

"Affairs of state," he cut in quickly.

"That isn't what your uncle said," winked Katara. "He said-"

"Did you find out anything about my mother?" cut in Zuko quickly. _Uncle, I am going to disembowel you slowly._

Katara shifted from foot to foot, smiling broadly. She nudged Aang, who was smiling almost as broadly.

"We found her!" the young air-bender blurted.

"You did?"

Aang nodded excitedly. "It was really hard to track her down after she left the Fire Nation. At first we thought she must have died, but then we realized she was traveling as an Earth Nation woman!"

"So guess who_ really_ found her?"

Zuko turned. There were two figures standing in the doorway, both clad entirely in green. The plump girl who had spoken blinked milky eyes in his general direction, then cocked her head proudly to the side. Zuko swallowed.

She was shorter than he remembered. Of course she was. She had left before he was full-grown. She wore the simple robes of an earth nation countrywoman, not the richly embroidered robes he had last seen her in, and her face bore lines that it hadn't those years ago.

"M-mother," he stammered. It felt as if he'd taken a sucker-punch to the stomach, this fearful eagerness, this sudden irrational terror that he wasn't good enough, that she wasn't really still-

She crossed the room in three steps and had her arms about him. "Zuko," she whispered. "Zuko, my son."

He felt her move to encircle him more completely in her embrace, and a sob caught in his throat. No. He couldn't cry in public like this, he couldn't-frantically, he tried to pull himself together.

"Hey, what's she do-" he heard Sokka say. His mother's arm moved quickly behind his back, and something thudded into his side.

It took a moment before the pain registered. It took a moment before Katara's water-whip had flung his mother back across the room and pinned her to a chair. It took a moment for Zuko to blink stupidly and reach back to feel the dagger protruding from his side. Touching it sent a wave of agony through him, and he gasped and dropped to his knees.

His mother was fighting against the bonds as his friends raced to his side. "What happened?" he tried to ask, but he was on the floor, and there was red descending on his vision, and the last thing he heard was Katara's voice, echoing oddly loud in his ears. "It'll be okay, Zuko, just don't move!"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own Avatar.

A/N: This is probably my least favorite of the three chapters, but it's necessary. The second one of three things is always the worst anyway. Enjoy. R&R if so inclined :)

**Chapter Two**

He swam slowly back to consciousness. Why did he hurt so much? Injured…he'd been injured…but why did his heart hurt so much? If his heart had been injured, he would be dead, surely.

"He's coming around," he heard Katara's voice say grimly.

"So who gets to tell him?" Sokka, this time, a lot more serious than the last time he and Zuko had spoken.

"Tell me what?" he croaked. He tried to roll up on his elbow and sank back with a groan.

"Don't try to move yet, you're still weak," Katara said gently.

"I could…explain?" Aang's voice was hesitant, almost frightened.

"I'll do it." Zuko reached out blindly and found his uncle's strong hand.

"What is it, Uncle? What's happened?"

Iroh sighed and squeezed his hand. "Your sister has escaped."

"Azula? What does she have to do with-" _my mother stabbing me_?

His mother had tried to kill him. She had thrust a knife up between his ribs, just by his heart. He knew enough about wounds to know from the feel that if the stab had been angled a little more inward, he would have died almost instantly. "Why did-"

"She rendezvoused with the Dai Li, Zuko."

He still didn't understand, couldn't understand, until Iroh gently helped him to sit up, and he discovered his mother was bound to the chair. "We didn't feel safe letting her out of the room," his uncle explained softly.

Ursa's eyes were hugely dilated, the pupils almost encompassing the irises. Her lips were moving restlessly.

"We've seen this before." Aang vaulted across the room to land on the bed beside Zuko. "Not as bad, though. The Dai Li do something to your head. She's not really aware of her actions right now."

"I'm sorry, Zuko." Toph sounded more subdued than he'd ever heard her. "This is totally my fault."

Zuko shook his head. "It isn't your fault, Toph. How could you have prevented this?"

The girl stubbed at the floor with a bare toe. "I should've watched her better. I should've-the Sugar Queen wouldn't have let this happen."

Katara clucked. "Oh, _nonsense_, Toph! It's not your fault!"

"I guess…"

"There's a way to reverse it, isn't there?" Zuko asked eagerly.

"We just don't _know_, Zuko," Katara said helplessly.

Zuko gritted his teeth and pushed himself up onto his elbow, then into a sitting position.

"Hey, don't get up, you're still injured. Katara's good, but she's not a miracle worker!" Sokka laid a cautionary hand on Zuko's arm.

A soft twang drew Zuko's attention, and he glanced to the window in time to see something glitter quickly in Aang's direction. The Firelord flung himself across the bed and knocked the Avatar from his squatting position onto the floor. Agony sliced through Zuko's back, and he cried out, but he and Aang were safely on the floor, well below the dagger that was still quivering in the bed-board.

Iroh reacted first. "Shut the window, quickly!" Sokka threw the window shut with a bang and dragged the window closed.

A strangled noise from Ursa made everyone look up toward the bed. "There's a note-" Katara knelt on the bed and unwrapped the scrap of paper from around the blade of the dagger. "Oh…" she said softly.

"It's from Azula, isn't it?" Zuko asked grimly from his place on the floor. Lying against Aang was rather uncomfortable, but he didn't want to move. The air bender slid upright under him, supporting him. "Thanks," the boy murmured quietly.

"Agh," Zuko gasped in response. "I mean, you're welcome. Let me see the note."

"I'm not sure if-" Katara glanced at Iroh.

"Let me _see_ it," Zuko said, putting on his best commanding Firelord voice.

"I-oh, all right." Katara gave it to him with a sigh. "But you are _not_ to do anything stupid."

"To my dearest-and only-brother:" the letter began. "How unkind of you not to have even a word for your poor, incarcerated sister. Hope mother's treating you well. By the way, I know how to make the poor dear feel better, but, Zuko, you'll have to come see me this evening-you can even bring those ridiculous friends of yours if you'd like, but no vast armies of guards. Dear sweet Firelord, I want a rematch, without any interference from silly water bending bitches. Oh, and Zuzu? If you don't come, I'm having an _Agni Kai_ anyway, with a _dear_ estranged friend." He could almost hear Azula's derisive laughter. "It _is_ a pity that Mai isn't a fire bender, but I suppose she can make do with those silly knives of hers. Of course I won't be letting her go armed, which I suppose could be a problem. Your Loving Sister, Azula."

"Mai…" Zuko crumpled the letter between his feet and surged to his feet. "MAI! Uncle, where is Mai? _Where is she_?"

The faint hope that Azula was bluffing was snuffed out when Mai was nowhere to be found, when even when he sent Iroh to Mai's house, her parents stiffly said she hadn't been home since yesterday morning. Zuko kept frantically trying to get out of bed and being pushed down by one or another of his friends, who told him sternly to "take it easy."

"Katara _healed_ me," Zuko kept insisting, but Katara pointed out that she while she might have stopped him from bleeding to death, he was still injured.

Finally, late in the afternoon, everyone had to leave to join the search for Azula and Mai, and after numerous repetitions of "I'm serious, Zuko, don't go anywhere," Katara left as well.

As soon as she was out of the room, Zuko heaved himself out of bed and began to dress himself. He had to stop once or twice due to dizziness, which made him pause, but he decided that there could be no harm in at least being dressed. He had just finished shrugging on his shirt when a glint at the window caught his eye.

Azula was outside. Zuko choked out an incoherent exclamation and ran for the window, fire already searing up along his back, but by the time he reached it, she was standing on the pavement below, smirking up at him.

Her months in the asylum had clearly not been good for her. She was wearing a drab, ragged robe, and her straggled hair threatened to escape from a single ribbon. Her enormous eyes stared out of a thinner face, and Zuko felt a pang, even now, that she had been eating so little she seemed almost to have been starving. Her thin lips widened in a deranged grin, and she blew him a kiss from the tips of her fingers, then beckoned.

Zuko glanced back into the room. No one else was here. It would take time to summon aid, but he should-

Then Azula shook her head, smiling, and drew her finger across her throat. Her lips formed a word which he could read even from here. _Mai._

Time. He didn't have time. His eyes swept the room for something he could use, and fell on the bison whistle Aang had left. With any luck, Aang was with Appa. Zuko moved for the window in a wide arc, sweeping the whistle into his sleeve as he did so. Then, his side already protesting, he vaulted out of the window in one fluid motion.

He landed lightly, using the heat in the air currents to slow his fall, in time to see Azula disappearing down a nearby alleyway. Feverishly, he brought the bison whistle to his mouth and blew, then took off after her.

It soon became clear she was playing with him. They ducked from alley to alley, circled the palace several times, and ran through Mai's yard once. As they exited, Zuko lost his temper.

"Azula, show yourself!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Several fire nation nobles peered out of their windows at the noise, and Zuko was forced to hide his face to avoid starting up gossip as to why the Firelord was ducking around amidst drying laundry in someone's yard, wearing robes that sported an obvious bloodstain where his wound had reopened.

As the windows closed again and he began to tramp down the latest alleyway, trying to control his rising anger and anxiety, he heard Azula's high giggle again. Coming from beneath his feet. He barely had time to react, throwing out a blast of flame to mark his passage, when the ground beneath his feet disappeared, and he fell.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own Avatar.

A/N: And here is the conclusion! Enjoy (hopefully)! =D

**Chapter Three**

He was lying in the mud, and his head hurt. Zuko groaned and sat up. There was still a hole above him, but the earth had buckled when he fell-or someone had bent it-so that it was too small for him to get out of, though in the reddish sunlight that filtered down, he could see Azula's footprints clearly outlined.

Putting a hand to his aching head, he tottered to his feet. He felt sick and had to clap a hand to his mouth to stop himself from vomiting. He took several deep breaths. How long had he been down here? It couldn't have been that long if the sun was still up. From the feel of the sunlight on the back of his neck, it was sunset, so perhaps a couple of hours. No one had found him, obviously. He could try to sit here and wait for someone to find him, but-Azula had Mai. No, he couldn't do that. He had to leave a sign and hope that Aang and the rest of his friends would show up before he or Mai ended up-hurt.

He took out the bison whistle again and blew as hard as he could. It made a pitiful whooshing noise to his ears, but of course it wasn't made for his ears. Then he gathered his strength and let his qi flow through him, releasing a waterfall of fire that traveled upward in a glowing line and exploded outward in a cascade as it reached the ground. With any luck, someone would see it and put two and two together. Then Zuko took a deep breath and began to slog down the passage in Azula's wake.

_I really wish there had been some more practical robes at hand_. The embroidered trousers were heavy enough when they weren't caked in mud, though he had to admit, the cool mud soothed his aching side.

As he turned a corner, he began to hear sounds-laughter, cheering and hooting mocks of derision. _Oh spirits no_. He ran, ignoring the pain in his side and the nagging headache. He almost fell as the passage ended abruptly over in the wall of a wide, spherical chamber ringed with benches halfway up the walls. Everything was made of mud. Clearly earth bending at work.

A large group of men and women sat in the benches, staring down at the spectacle below, which looked like the old-style gladiatorial combat which had been traditional in the Earth Kingdom about a century ago.

At one end stood Azula, tossing a fireball from fist to fist. At the other, wearing a short, ragged tunic, her arms set in a determined martial stance-

"_Mai_!"

Mai's distant face turned toward him for an instant, and the blank calm she always wore cracked as she mouthed in panic, "_Go back!_"

But Azula had heard as well, and she was laughing up at him. Closer to him than Mai, he could hear her as she spoke. "Well, well, look who decided to join us. Zuzu, darling, I thought you weren't going to make the show."

"Let her go, Azula!"

Again, her high-pitched giggle. "Oh, Zuzu, always so predictable. You're interrupting an _Agni Kai_, you know." She made a determined gesture, and flame shot toward the girl on the other side of the ring. Mai slipped to the side and ducked quickly forward.

"What happened to _our_ _Agni Kai_, Azula?"

Azula tapped her wrist at him. "You're late, brother. You'll have to wait your turn." She waved dismissively at him, then ran across the ring at Mai, who slipped to the side again, but wasn't quite fast enough to dodge the wave of fire that erupted from Azula's outstretched fingers and knocked her body doll-like across the cavern. She struck the wall and slid to the ground. Zuko's heart stood still, until she dizzily picked herself up and regained her stance.

"_Azula_!" he yelled, somersaulting down the wall. He paused for an instant at the bench of spectators, then flipped forward again, again using the heat in the air to land lightly as a feather in front of Mai, who punched him in the shoulder.

"You idiot," she snarled. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Rescuing you?" panted Zuko.

Mai rolled her eyes. "Have you _ever_ heard of a trap, oh great Firelord?"

"Oh, shut up."

He pushed her backwards as blue fire blossomed in a wave in front of them, and he threw up his hands arms before his face, letting it flow around them like water. The touch of the flames was invigorating, but the effort sent another twinge of pain through his side, and he couldn't help letting a grunt escape his lips.

"You're hurt!" Mai's hand was on his shoulder.

"It's nothing."

Azula's voice echoed through the chamber. "Dai Li! This man is trying to interfere with my _Agni Kai_! Suppress him!"

The floor beneath Zuko rumbled, and he watched in consternation as the earth flowed up around him, leaving only his head free. He struggled without effect.

"Nice try," Mai said sarcastically behind him. "I'm so impressed with this rescue effort, Zuko."

She was forced to throw herself out of the way of another jet of flame. "Is that the best you can do?" she yelled at Azula.

_It won't work_. Azula was so far past the point of losing her cool, she was probably boiling-and not because she was a fire bender.

Zuko was right. Azula didn't react to the insult, she just laughed like a child who had been given a new toy and twisted her hands. Whips of flame burst from her hands and shot toward Mai, who dodged between them and raced determinedly for the ex-princess. Azula flipped backwards as Mai sent a kick at her face. One lock of hair flipped downward as Mai skidded beneath her, and then Mai's trajectory was halted suddenly as Azula landed, and the whips of flame surged backward and twined around the other girl's arms.

Mai screamed in pain, and Zuko redoubled his efforts to escape, but the suffocating earth refused to budge. "Mai!" he cried in desperation.

Azula lifted the struggling girl from the ground and laughed. "Oh, Zuzu, I'm not burning her. Much."

A scream of pure frustration burst from Zuko's throat and with it, fire surged from his eyes and mouth, curling toward Azula, who dodged easily. "Naughty, naughty." She shook her finger at him. "What would Mother say?"

She turned back to Mai, who was struggling grimly in the grip of the flames, little grunts of pain escaping from her lips. "Do you fear me now?" she whispered, and Zuko felt tears springing to his eyes as he watched a finger of flame slide slowly down Mai's cheek, leaving a long line of scorched red flesh in its wake.

Mai choked and writhed. "Screw you," she coughed, and spat in Azula's face.

Azula's eyes widened in madness. "You _bitch_…" she said slowly. "I thought you were my _friend_."

The flame-whips tightened about Mai's upper arms, and she gasped in pain, sweat beading on her forehead and upper lip.

"Let her _go_!" Zuko yelled again, struggling against the confining earth.

"Princess!" called one of the Dai Li. "Someone's coming through the top!"

Zuko felt a surge of hope. The flames holding Mai flickered as Azula glanced back to the person who'd shouted and glanced upward, where the ceiling was beginning to rumble.

Then Azula's chin firmed, and the whips holding Mai drew her downward toward the other girl. Azula took Mai's chin in her hand and laughed softly. "Well, I have to leave _something_ for Zuzu to regret."

"No! Azula! Please!" Zuko cried desperately. "Please don't hurt her!"

She flashed him a grin. "Why, Zuzu," she laughed. "She's just a whore, you know. You're well rid of her."

Lightning crackled from Azula's fingers and arced through Mai's body. For an instant she hung in the air, suspended by nothing, then she collapsed.

"Bye-bye now," Azula laughed and leapt into the stands as the ceiling was peeled back.

Fire burst from every pore in Zuko's body, and the earth around him melted. He flung it away and stumbled across the room to Mai.

Aang and Katara slid off Appa's back as the Dai Li disappeared into the walls.

"Katara, help!" Zuko was kneeling beside Mai, whose eyes were shut. He pulled her head into his lap. There was a slick star-shaped burn mark just beneath her chin.

Katara dropped to her knees beside them, fumbling her water out. She touched Mai-and stopped. "Oh, Zuko, her heart's not beating."

"Mai-Mai!" He pulled her body into his arms. "Katara, you have to help her!"

"Her _heart_ isn't beating, Zuko-I can't start it again!"

"Please," he gulped. "Please, Katara, I-I'll do anything. Anything you want."

Katara was crying. "I can't start her heart! Zuko, I'm _sorry_!"

Aang grabbed Zuko's arm. "Zuko, you can! I remember-they taught us at the temple! Giving someone an electric shock can restart their heart!"

Zuko turned to him. "Where's my uncle?"

"He and Sokka are watching your mother…"

"Argh!" Zuko beat his fist against his forehead. "I can't bend lightning!"

Aang's eyes widened. "But…"

"I've never been able to! You have to separate your emotions or something, I don't know-"

"Zuko." Aang took him by both shoulders. "Listen to me. It's like me trying to get into the Avatar state. You can do this. Take a deep breath and let go. You can do this."

Zuko stared at him.

"You're her only hope."

_No pressure then_, Zuko could almost hear Mai's sarcastic voice saying. He shut his eyes. Breathe deeply. Azula could bend lightning. It couldn't be that hard. _Separate your emotions and then recombine them. You won't be able to control it once it's created._

Carefully, Zuko placed crossed hands on Mai's still chest just over her heart. "I love you, Mai," he whispered, and let go.

The others watched in hushed silence as Zuko's eyes closed and his breathing quieted. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then the lightning ran like water down Zuko's arms and into Mai's body. She jerked, gasped and coughed. Her eyes shot open.

"Mai!"

He kissed her, even as Katara frantically started healing, and her hands tightened around his back. She pulled away and started to cough and gasp wildly. "Sorry!"

Toph dropped to the ground beside them. "They got away," she said. "Sorry, Twinkle-toes. Sorry, Zuko."

He shook his head, brushing a lock of hair back from Mai's forehead. "That's okay, Toph, it's not your fault."

"But…" Toph said awkwardly. "What about your mother?"

Pain reached in and squeezed Zuko's heart. "We'll manage something," he said firmly, with a certainty he didn't feel.

"Hey." Mai laughed weakly, and he turned his attention back to her.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. Your lightning makes me curl my toes."

"What?" he asked stupidly.

"Your lightning makes me curl my toes." She winked. "So does your-" He kissed her hurriedly to make her shut up and the rest of the sentence came out mangled and unrecognizable from beneath his tongue.

"So does Zuko's what?" asked Aang innocently. Katara smothered a laugh.

"Uh, nothing," Zuko mumbled. "You're evil," he said to Mai.

"I know," she smirked; then her face turned serious. "Thanks for saving me."

He kissed her on the forehead. "Anytime."

"Aang," said Toph. "You need to high-five Zuko now."

"Okay." Aang slapped his palm against a startled Zuko's. "Why?"

The Avatar looked around confusedly as everyone burst out laughing.


End file.
